Sutherland Astronomical Society Incorporated is an amateur astronomical society based in the Sutherland Shire, in the southern suburbs of Sydney, Australia.
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The Society was formed in June 1961, and was then known as the James Cook Astronomers Club (JCAC), named after Captain James Cook, English explorer who first landed in Australia at Kurnell (a suburb in the Sutherland Shire) after successfully observing a transit of Venus from Tahiti.
The Society obtained Council land at Oyster Bay and commenced construction on the Green Point Observatory, the first stage of which, consisting of a dome and library, was completed in 1969.
The observatory was extended in 1974 when a meeting hall was added, and further extended in 1997 when the roll-off roof observatory was added, and further in 2007 when the two buildings were merged, and the meeting hall extended, toilet added and kitchen improved.
The JCAC merged with the Pacific Astronomical Society in 1972 and the name was changed to the James Cook Astronomical Society. The name was further changed to Sutherland Astronomical Society in 1978 to further identify the society in the geographical area in which it is located. The Society was incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act and the word "Incorporated" was added to the name.
The Society was instrumental in the formation of the National Australian Convention of Amateur Astronomers (NACAA) and co-hosted conventions in Katoomba (1966), Canberra (1967), Sydney (1988) and Penrith (2008) and sole hosts in 1998 at Sutherland.
The Society logo is the galaxy NGC2997 in Antlia and was adopted in 1979 and updated in 2008.
Members of the Society have made the following discoveries:
The Society conducts the following events by way of public outreach: